Perplexity’s ambitious Comet AI browser has officially opened its doors to everyone, dropping the steep $200-per-month “Max” plan requirement that once kept it locked behind a paywall. Originally designed as a premium, AI-powered browser capable of autonomously exploring the web on your behalf, Comet is now available for free—though with significant limits in place.
The idea behind Comet is simple but bold: a web browser that doesn’t just load pages but actually browses and summarizes content for you, filtering out unwanted clutter like ads, misinformation, and malware. It integrates Perplexity’s Sidecar LLM assistant, which can read pages, answer questions, shop online, and even conduct searches as if it were a human user. However, those high-end features still require the Max subscription, leaving free users with restricted access and rate limits on AI tools such as text generation and browsing-by-identity functions.
Interestingly, Perplexity’s ambition for Comet goes far beyond being another Chrome clone. At one point, the company reportedly considered buying Chrome from Google to accelerate its browser goals—an audacious idea quickly halted by antitrust considerations. As of today, though, anyone can install Comet without a subscription or invitation, as confirmed by TechCrunch.
Still, the browser remains in a fairly experimental stage. Early testers, including tech journalist Chris Hoffman, describe Comet as a “flashy demo” rather than a true daily driver. While its agentic browsing concept is intriguing, it’s hampered by security gaps and limited usability beyond its AI showcase. For now, Comet feels like a glimpse into a possible AI-driven browsing future—just not one ready to replace your main browser yet.
